Psychopathology - behavioural approach to explaining phobias Flashcards
what is the two process model
- Mowrer (1960)
- explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety
- classical conditioning for onset
- operant conditioning for persistence
what is acquisition by classical conditioning
Watson and Rayner (1920)
- created phobia in Little Albert
- when presented the rat a loud noise also made
- noise = unconditioned stimulus
- fear = unconditioned response
- rat (Neutral stimulus) and UCS stimulus are encountered together they produce fear
- Albert displayed fear when he saw the rat - distress at other white furry objects
what is maintenance by operant conditioning
- when we avoid the phobic stimulus we escape the fear and anxiety we would have experienced if we stayed there
- reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and phobia is maintained
what are the strengths of the behavioural approach
Real world application
- exposure therapies - flooding
Ad de Johng et al (2006)
- 73% of people with a fear of dental treatment had experienced a traumatic experience with dentistry
- compared to a control group of 21%
- confirms that association between stimulus and a unconditioned response leads to the development of phobias
what are the limitations of the behavioural approach
Cognitive aspects not accounted for
- phobias just aren’t avoidance responses they have a cognitive element
- people can hold irrational beliefs about the phobic stimulus
- two process model doesn’t completely explain all symptoms of phobias
- not all phobias follow bad experiences
- snake phobias = very few had interactions with them
- not all frightening experiences lead to phobias